Wine On Tap: The New Way Restaurants Are Cutting Costs & Cutting Waste

Fresh wine at the pull of a tap. Who could ask for more? The food service industry is making the switch from glass bottles to wine dispensing kegs and boxes as a way to reduce waste, guarantee freshness, and cut costs. No more pulling corks, recycling bottles, and throwing away packaging. Having wine on tap is a great way to streamline and speed up service.

With traditional bottled by-the-glass programs, a certain percentage of wine is wasted due to oxidization or being tainted by the cork. Kegged wine eliminates these problems, reducing waste and increasing profits. Kegged wine also saves winemakers the costs associated with packaging and shipping. These savings can be passed along to the restaurants, and then to the customers. This allows restaurants and bars to offer high-quality wine at a lower price.

Wine on tap also allows for more efficient service. There are no bottles to present, corks to fuss with, or foil to cut. This system also reduces your business’ impact on the environment by reducing waste from packaging and empty bottles.

There a few different options for dispensing systems. With a direct draw system, the kegs are located in the refrigeration units beneath the taps. This option is perfect for restaurants and bars that have space at or near the point of dispense. The direct draw system minimizes loss and ensures the best serving temperature.

If there is limited space at the bar, a long draw system should be considered. Similar to a long draw beer system or remote beer system, the kegs are located away from the taps. The beverage is carried by temperature-controlled lines to the taps. The protective lines ensure the wine is delivered to the point of dispense at the correct temperature.

The table top option, which uses traditional glass bottles, keeps the bottles cool and dispenses the wine using a tap. The table top option also allows opened bottles to stay fresh for weeks. There are also mobile dispensers available for events.

When it comes to choosing the proper gas, wine has different needs than a soda or beer tap. A mixed gas or beer gas will keep your wine the freshest and provide the most accurate taste. Unlike soda which requires CO2 for carbonation, wine produces its own CO2. Using pure CO2 can cause the wine to eventually carbonate. A blended gas of 75% nitrogen and 25% CO2 will keep the wine fresh and provide the taste that the vineyard had intended. For still red and white wine, 100% nitrogen or 100% argon can also be used. The exception is sparkling wine systems, which welcome carbonation. For sparkling wine, 100% CO2 can be used.

Regardless of which system is required, an expert will be needed to fit and install it. Tognazzini Beverage Service specializes in the distribution and installation of beverage systems, including wine-on-tap. They provide the systems as well as kegs and boxes of quality wines. Enlisting the services of a company like Tognazzini Beverage Service allows restaurants to acquire all the products needed to operate a wine on tap system from one source.

Call Tognazzini Beverage Service to discuss the possible ways to make your restaurant or bar operations run more smoothly and efficiently while bringing higher quality beverages to your clients’ palettes. We can be reached at 800-549-1144 or via our Contact form.